Great expectations

Expectations.

Sometimes we set them too high and failure is imminent.  If I expect my kids to sit still and quiet in a restaurant, never spill anything, I'm doomed for failure.  My house isn't going to stay clean with little destroyers running around.  There will always be laundry in the basket.
 
But sometimes I don't feel like I'm asking for too much, but we just can't quite get there.  We keep falling short.  Maybe all I'm asking is that every basket of toys not be dumped onto the floor, or that there won't be any blood curdling screaming as we walk through a store.

If my expectations aren't met, I get disappointed.

Maybe those expectations were in a person, a group, or life.

Sometimes we have a plan that we think it should be.  I had it all planned, and it didn't happen.  Maybe it wasn't because my sights were set too high.  But because I had the bar set too low.  I didn't think I could do it.  I didn't believe in myself.  I didn't trust in God's sufficiency to get me through.  I didn't trust that God's plan was best.

If I set my expectations where they should be:
Everyone makes mistakes.  That's when you know you have found a true friend, because they forgive you even when you mess up.
God has a perfect plan, and it's not my plan.
All things work together for the good for those that love God.

I might still get disappointed at times, but I'll bounce back quicker, forgive more readily, and move on with ease. 

Here we are, loving some fall.

It's the quirks that make life interesting. And I'm enjoying my kid's quirkiness right now.

When you hug Austin, you have to touch heads or it's not a real hug. If you don't do it right, you have to do it over again.

If you look at Madison when she's not smiling, make eye contact, and smile real big, she'll give a sweet, shy smile back.  Even if when she tries to hold it in, she can't help it.

If you tell him to smile, he says cheese and squints his eyes so hard that they become little slits in his face.

 Kamdyn doesn't like plain apple sauce. But if you add some cereal and warm it up, she eats it up in no time.

And she opens her mouth real big when she smiles.

Madison has a recent fascination with climbing trees.  Every tree she gets near, she tries to climb.

Happy Fall.  Tonight is trick or treat night.  I know, it's weird not to trick or treat on Halloween, but that's how they do it here.  So we're taking advantage of it and stretching Halloween out all week.